Foreign observers to participate on a large scale in election monitoring

Foreign observers are set to participate on a large scale in monitoring the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.

Several hundred foreign observers may be involved in observing the election scheduled to be held on 12 February. Election Commission (EC) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, sharing this information, said that this will be the highest number of foreign observers to monitor a national election since 2008.

Sources in the EC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a number of international organisations—including the United States–based International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI), the European Union (EU), and the Commonwealth—will observe the election.

In addition, observers from various countries will join the foreign election observer missions.

A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Prothom Alo on Sunday that among the foreign observer groups expressing interest in monitoring the 13th parliamentary election, the EU delegation will be the largest.

From the 27-member European bloc, a delegation of 150–180 members is preparing to come to Bangladesh on both short and long-term missions.

Another senior ministry official said that the delegation from the United States is expected to have around 50 members, led by the IRI. The Commonwealth observer mission is expected to comprise around 30 members.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has already begun sending letters requesting the deployment of foreign observers for the 13th parliamentary election.

As part of this effort, he has requested European Commission Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to send an election observation mission.

Officials from the EC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told this correspondent that letters will be sent in phases to various international and regional organisations and countries, including the Commonwealth, requesting them to send election observers.

Asked about inviting foreign observers to monitor the election, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told journalists at his office that the Election Commission will invite foreign observers to the upcoming national election. The government does not want to bring in any observers who might create unnecessary controversy.

The foreign affairs adviser also told this correspondent that in October, a US pre-election observation team had visited Bangladesh. At that time, they said the US delegation would be led by the IRI. In addition to IRI and NDI, the delegation will include several former US senators, members of Congress, and former government officials.

The CEC announced the schedule for the 13th parliamentary election on 11 December. On the same day, referring to the announcement, he wrote to European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas requesting the deployment of an election observation mission to Bangladesh.

In the letter, CEC Nasir Uddin wrote that the Bangladesh Election Commission is firmly committed to completing the upcoming election process while ensuring the highest standards of transparency, neutrality, and integrity.

The presence of domestic and international observers during the election will build confidence among voters and will play a genuinely positive role in ensuring transparency in both the electoral process and the results, he added.

In this context, the CEC requested in the letter that the EU send observers to monitor the election. He wrote that the EU election observation mission would be warmly welcomed to observe the entire electoral process, including the preparatory phase, polling-related activities, vote counting, and post-election procedures.

In accordance with rules and guidelines, the relevant Bangladeshi authorities will provide all possible assistance to the EU delegation.

When contacted, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the EU, based in Brussels, Khondaker Masud Alam, told Prothom Alo over phone that the EU’s pre-election observation mission had visited Bangladesh in September and submitted an assessment report to the EU afterward.

Based on this report, the EU has decided to send a full-fledged election observation mission to Bangladesh this time.

The EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, Michael Miller, recently said that for the first time since 2008, the EU is sending a full election observation mission to Bangladesh.

The team may include between 150 and 200 members. Some will arrive in Bangladesh about six weeks before polling day, while others will arrive a week before the vote. The EU will also assist in recruiting local election observers during the election period.

The presence of foreign observers was notable during the ninth parliamentary election held in December 2008. According to EC data, there were 593 foreign observers at that time.

Officials from the EC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that such a large institutional presence of foreign observers had never occurred before that election.

In comparison, the presence of foreign observers in the subsequent three disputed elections (the 10th, 11th, and 12th) was extremely limited and selective.

Moreover, questions were raised about the quality of those who came to observe from abroad. Now, after 17 years, the highest number of foreign observers is set to monitor a national election.